1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and a method for transmitting/receiving the detailed information pertinent to a commercial message, aired using television broadcast signals, by way of an example, and to a method and apparatus for processing the information.
2. Description of Related Art
Up to now, the commercial message, abbreviated herein to CM, furnished by e.g., television broadcast, has been retained to be effective as intuitive information purveying means for consumers at large.
However, with the CM, it is difficult to furnish the detailed information mainly due to temporal limitations, that is the time zone or the time length in which it is aired, or to properties of the image or the speech as information transmitting means. So, a consumer desirous to know the detailed information about CM contents, such as the detailed information pertinent to the commercial articles or services, or to purchase a commercial article or services, has to resort to such measures as telephone or mail or direct contact with distributors. In particular, as to the site of contact from which to acquire the detailed information concerning the CM contents, it is generally up to the knowledge or search on the part of the consumer, even granting that the telephone number, for example, is aired simultaneously with the CM.
On the other hand, the technique of browsing the information employing the Internet has come into widespread use. In particular, the role of home pages in WWW (World Wide Web) as advertizing means for an enterprise or an organization is increasing. Moreover, for the consumers at large, the general tendency is to have reference to the home pages in order to know the detailed information pertinent to the CM contents or in order to purchase the articles of commerce or services. However, there lacks direct means for interconnecting the CM broadcast by e.g., the televison broadcast and the home pages in the WWW on the Internet. Thus, if a consumer apprized of the articles of commerce or service by e.g., the television broadcast and desires to obtain the information of the contents of the articles of commerce or service, he or she has to check for an access site furnishing the information on his or her own and to make connection to the access site using a separate computer or the like device, such as a personal computer.